What Lies Beneath
by IHeartNealLarkin
Summary: What if Federico never truly died? What if another had died in his place? Will he reunite with his family? Will join forces with Ezio? Discover what could have been and why it happened?


**Title:** What Lies Beneath

**Disclaimer: **I swear on my mother's ashes that I do not own any of them; I am just playing with them.

**A/N: **This is basically a rewrite of the story I had with the same title, but it is different. I still will have a few surprises, like hint: Federico amazingly is still alive; he is just yet to show his face. Once you read the story you no doubt understand what I am trying to say here without spoiling you. The song by Breaking Benjamin inspires the title for this story, I love the song and it suits what I am trying to write. Please forgive me if there are any notable mistakes, oh and I am currently fixing up chapter 3 for my other Assassin's Creed story, in case you are wondering. Please enjoy and don't forget to check out when you leave ok.

**Summery: **What if Federico never truly died? What if another had died in his place? Will he reunite with his family? Will join forces with Ezio? Discover what could have been and why it happened?

**Rated: **I have rated this as a** 'T', **just in case as there will be lots of blood.

**Pairings: **Mentions of Ezio/Cristina, which may become more then a mere mention, because I just love the pair and maybe I will even have Federico hook up with Rosa.

**Author: **AramisLover

* * *

**Part 1:**

A few years have long since passed, when a once well renowned and respected family had been torn a part. What was left of the Auditore family had been forced to flee from their beloved home, forced to leave the life they had in Florence behind them. One of the remaining Auditore family had been forced to shed what was left of his youthfulness to become a man.

Ezio Auditore had become a man fuelled with red-hot anger and a thirst for revenge, to seek retribution, the moment he had witnessed his beloved family being murdered right before his very eyes. He had seen his father and brothers die, and now all he wants is the blood of a betrayer.

His eyes had stung with tears of anger and sorrow, but Ezio did not weep; he could not afford to weep, as he had to remain strong for his mother and sister.

He had not found the time to shed his tears for his father and brothers, as he had been flung into a world, a whole brand new world. One full of betrayal, murderers and deceit, Ezio had taken up his father's last legacy, and that of his forefathers.

Uncle Mario had taught him the skills to defend and to how to take another's life, he had his father's blade, which Leonardo had fixed for him, and he had thrust the blade repeatedly into Uberto Alberti's body, not caring where he stabs, just as long as the bastardo died for what he had done.

The blood of his enemies now stains his blade.

Ezio seeks to uncover the truth and what the Templars conspiracy is all about, and to get that understanding is to strike off the names from his father's list.

Blending in with the crowd, taking refuge amongst the shadows, as he stalked the streets of Florence, as he heads off to meet up with his good friend, Leonardo – but apparently Leonardo is on his way to Venice.

Which is another city that Borgia and his conspirators plan on to take over as their own and Ezio will continue on being the thorn in their backside, they will rue the day for what they have done. They will pay for destroying his family's hopes and dreams.

* * *

There are many things that were forcing Federico from rushing off to join his family's exile in Monteriggioni, the fort where he is sure to find his mother and siblings, and there are many of them. For one, he is dead to his family and Federico dreads the reaction of him returning from the dead, that he will no doubt cause unintentionally inflict upon them.

The other thing is that he had heard rumours. There is a rumour stating that his little brother, Ezio, had become an avenging monster, hiding in the shadows and on rooftops, swathed in red and white.

He had also heard, being whispered amongst he rumours, is that Ezio had been the one to take the life of Uberto Alberti, the one who had been one of the few responsible for betraying his family's friendship, trust, and the lives of his father and Petruccio.

Federico is still impressively amazed that no one had discovered him alive, no one but his old friends, which he had not seen since childhood.

Claudio and Pietro, two former guards had saved Federico from certain death, there had been a part of him wanting Petruccio to be one to escape from the hangman's noose, not he, the pair of them had told him repeatedly that Petruccio was in the same cell as his father. And that it would have cost them more then just their jobs. They were risking their lives in honour of the friendship the three of them had once shared during their childhood. After learning that the pair had found a poor and innocent, though probably not as innocent as Petruccio, scrubby soul to take his place, the man that they had bribed to take his placed resembled Federico greatly, their facial features held a lot of resemblance and it would only take a keen eye to see the difference.

After exchanging his clothes for the poor man's, which Claudio had claimed, that no one would miss.

Federico had heard words echoing across, coming from the cell beside his, the one that holds his father and Petruccio prisoner.

Hearing the confusion spewing out of Ezio's mouth and the words that sounded uncertain, and yet stern, as they spoke to his little brother. His father and Ezio were speaking to each other; Ezio kept on asking questions on how this could have happened and why it had.

Ezio has no knowledge of his father's true identity as an Assassin, and father was going to Ezio all if things had turned out differently, and they had.

Everything had become a mess, everything is becoming distorted and blurred.

What hurts the most is the fact is that Federico did not even see his father and his far, too innocent little brother Petruccio hang for false crimes.

Federico is truly grateful for Claudio and Pietro for saving his life, sparing his neck from being strung up. He is glad that he did not see his family die, as the pain would have been too great to bear.

Though Federico will always title Ezio as his best friend, but he has being growing closer to his saviours. It was because of what they had risked a great deal to get him out alive and they have been in hiding ever since. Biding their time for the opportune moment to strike.

He longs for the day when he will be able to reunite with his mother and sister, and most importantly to join forces with Ezio. To join in with the hunt for revenge, to take the lives that have destroyed their family.

* * *

Ezio was trying his hardest, but he could not get Caterina Sforza's beautiful face out of his mind. He ignored the incredulous looks that Leonardo had kept on throwing in his direction.

Eventually Ezio did manage to allow another beautiful face to take over, to invade his mind. The very angelic face that he longed to kiss once more and the one face that will, or may, haunt him for a very long time.

He isn't truly certain if it was love that he had felt whenever he was with her, but he is certain that he will never swipe away the memory of Cristina. What he feels now is pain and longing. He longs for her to have come with him, but he knew when he had asked that she would be torn. Torn in two. Having to choose to come with him or to stay with her family. It had hurt him deeply when she had chosen her family, and not he. And then he had returned after a two absence from her life, only to discover that she was to be betrothed to another. He could have allowed to have his competition to die, just so he could continue on being the one that Cristina loves, but no. He had to save his competition, why because he loved her – he had fully realised that was the feeling he felt for her, he just wanted to ignore it, he did not see until it was too late.

Cristina had even confessed to him during their sweet romance that she loved him but he did not say that he had loved her in return. He may never get to tell her. They may never get their second chance.

Ezio could not afford to allow Cristina to be used, or even get hurt, because of him and what he has now become, what he has become involved in.

He had lost the chance to be with her the moment he had discovered his father's secret identity, the moment he chose to put on his father's robes, the robes of an assassin.

"Ezio? You are not listening to a single word that I am saying to you, are you? No matter," Leonardo's voice cheerfully chirped its way through Ezio's brooding thoughts. "I can just keep prattling on out loud, about the wonders of Venezia, seeing as it is obvious that you are brooding again."

Ezio allowed a smirk to grace his lips, though most of it was hidden underneath the hood. Yes, they were on their way towards Venice and her wonders that they no doubt will see in a few hours time.

"Forgive me Leonardo for being poor company," Ezio quietly apologised to his friend, who is rapidly becoming the closest thing to a brother to him.

"All right! I will forgive you," Leonardo quipped in, his voice still sounded as cheerful and as eccentric as ever. "Did you know that there is a man, wearing a dark coloured hooded cloak, watching us?"

"I gathered as such, we do make an odd pair," Ezio replied in earnest as he then turned himself around, he had been gazing out at the sea, to take a good look at this man that Leonardo had spoken off. "He means no harm to us. You have nothing to fear, Leonardo. You know that I will never allow anything to happen to you while I am around."

"That is very kind of you, my friend – but how do you know that the man means us no harm?" Leonardo is curious about how Ezio had come to the assumption so fast after a quick glance in the dark-hooded man's direction.

"Because I can tell the difference between an ally or foe, it is rather difficult to explain to you how I can, but that is how it is," Ezio explained the best way that he could in a way to aid his friend to understand him. "But the man's companions could well be a threat, as long as we remain mutual for the reminder of our voyage, then the good captain has nothing to be worried about."

"But why would a good guy mingle with others that mean trouble?" Leonardo quizzed his friend once more; eager to learn more about his young brooding and very secretive friend, a far cry from the boy that Ezio used to be when Leonardo had first met him.

"One can never know why there are those that choose to mingle with those that could mean harm to others, it could well be that the man is drawn to the wrong crowd without knowing the full extent of what he is getting himself into," Ezio replied.

Ezio had used his special sight, that he had never really told anyone, not even his family, he had told Federico however, but other then that. He had not told anyone about how he can tell an enemy from a friend. Just by looking at him. His enemies' true colours show even more true and vibrant in a red tone, while his allies are painted blue. His targets are usually using highlighted in a golden hue. It is rather difficult to tell anyone at all about this ability of his.

Whatever the case may be, he will have to dwell upon another time, as the shores of Venice gleam on the horizon.


End file.
